State seeks waiver for deployment of forces

Bhubaneswar, Jan 18: The state government has asked the Centre to waive the amount spent on the deployment of Central Para Military Forces (CPMFs) in Orissa, according to sources.The request comes in the backdrop of the Maoist menace becoming a major issue in the state.The state government recently has asked the ministry of home affairs to waive Rs 1,350 crore due towards deployment of CPMFs in the Maoist zones in the state, according to sources.By the end of 2013 end, the Centre had claimed dues of around `1,100 crore outstanding towards deployment of the forces in the state, sources said. This rose to Rs 1,350 crore by December 2014 with the state government failing to clear the dues.However, according to sources in the home department, the state government has said that this money should not be claimed from the states affected by Maoist activities, which pose a threat to the country’s internal security and requires urgent attention.As many as 17 battalions of Central armed forces have been deployed in 18 districts of the state affected by Left Wing Extremists (LWEs), sources said.However, the state government instead is seeking deployment of two more battalions in Orissa-Jharkhand and the Orissa-Chhattisgarh border to deal with LWE activities. It also asked for more CRPF officers in the Maoist affected districts to strengthen anti-Maoist operations, sources said.